“But…where are we going?” Lillian asked.
“Just do as I say, okay?” Kat said, her tone sharp and cutting.
“Okay.” Lillian rushed to obey, stuffing her things into the backpack Corinne had given her. Once she was finished, she asked, “What about Auntie Corinne?”
Kat rounded on her. “What about her? She’s dead.”
Lillian began to cry.
“Oh, stop your sniveling and follow me,” Kat said, shouldering her pack. She left the room, and Lillian had no option but to follow.
Kat led her to a part of the city she didn’t know, stopping in front of a hastily built shack. It looked like a strong wind could blow it down, and Lillian eyed it with growing fear. “What is this place?”
“Keep quiet, and let me do the talking,” Kat said, knocking on the ramshackle door.
A sharp-nosed woman with faded blue eyes answered the knock. Snot-nosed kids in threadbare clothing clustered around her in the opening.
“What do you want?” the woman asked.
“This is the orphanage, right?” Kat asked.
“What’s that to you?”
“This little girl has no home, no parents. Nothing,” Kat said, waving at Lillian.
“I don’t have space for more kids,” the woman said, her beady eyes filled with disdain.
“She’s got a ration ticket,” Kat said, producing a card.
Avarice replaced the disdain, but the woman shook her head. “Not enough.”
“How about this?” Kat said, shoving a bag into her hands. “It’s all of our food. Everything.”
The woman latched onto the bag and snatched up the rationing ticket. “Fine. You’ve got yourself a deal.”
“Good. Her name is Lillian,” Kat said, turning away.
“Who cares?” the woman said, grabbing Lillian by the arm.
Her fingers cut into Lillian’s flesh as she was dragged into the dank, evil-smelling hovel. Horrified, Lillian called out. “Kat? Please, don’t leave me here. I’ll do anything.”
Kat rounded on her with a furious expression. “You’ve already done enough, you little brat. If it wasn’t for you, my uncle would still be alive.”
With those words, she stormed off, and Lillian’s fate was sealed.
***
A month later, Lillian huddled next to an overflowing trashcan in a dark alley. In her hands, she clutched a crust of moldy bread and an apple core. It was the only food she’d been able to find, the only meal she’d had in days.
Her vision swam as she ate her meager find, and her belly cramped with desperate hunger. A cold wind whistled through the alley, cutting through her worn clothes. It would be a long night out in the cold.
It was the first thing the woman from the orphanage had done. She’d taken all of Lillian’s things and sold them. Her good clothes were replaced with rotten hand-me-downs from older kids. She hardly fed Lillian either. Most of the rations from her ticket went straight down Lila’s greedy gullet. It was the same with all the other kids.
As little as Corinne had earned while working in the hotel’s kitchens, she’d always made sure Lillian was properly dressed and fed. Lillian sniffed back a tear. Though she missed Auntie Corinne with all her heart, crying wouldn’t help. She’d learned that much over the past few weeks.
A gaggle of children from the orphanage ran past, chasing a rat. She ignored them. She wasn’t part of them anymore. She’d run away over a week before. It wasn’t as if anyone would miss her.
Closing her eyes, she tried to get some rest. As cold as it was, she needed to sleep. She’d just nodded off when a low voice spoke to her. “Little girl? ”
Lillian jerked awake and jumped to her feet, her heart banging in her chest. “Who’s there?”
“Calm down. I won’t hurt you,” a soothing voice said in the gathering gloom.
“What do you want?” Lillian asked, wary of strangers.
“I want to help you.” A woman stepped forward and extended her hand. “Are you all alone?”
“Maybe,” Lillian said, backing away. She was prepared to run at a moment’s notice, her faith in humanity at an all-time low.
“Are you hungry? I’ve got food,” the woman offered.
Lillian stared at her with distrust. “I don’t have money.”
“You don’t have to pay.”
“Then what do you want?” Lillian asked.
The woman studied her for a moment. “Someone hurt you very badly, didn’t they?”
Lillian’s chin began to wobble as tears threatened to overwhelm her. The woman was being too nice, and she wasn’t used to that anymore. “So?”
“So, I want to fix that. I want to help you. If you’ll let me,” the woman continued.
Despite the woman’s crazy Mohawk hairstyle, her eyes were kind and her smile warm. Still, Lillian remained on the alert. “How do I know you’re not like all the rest?”
“I promise, I’m not like that. You can trust me, sweetie,” the woman said.
Sweetie. That was what Corinne used to call her. At the word, Lillian’s defenses crumbled, and she burst into tears.
The woman drew her close and held her tight to her chest. “There, there. It’s okay. Everything will be okay, I promise.”
Lillian continued to bawl, enveloped in the strange woman’s warm embrace.
“What’s your name?” the woman asked.
“Li…Lillian, but I don’t want to be her anymore,” Lillian sobbed.
“Alright. Let’s call you something else then. What about Rogue?” the woman said, smoothing one hand over Lillian’s hair.
“Okay,” Rogue said, accepting the new name as her own.
“Good. Now, let’s get out of this cold wind and get something to eat,” the woman said, leading Rogue out of the alley. “You can call me Moran.”
Chapter 26
Rogue woke up on the cold concrete floor of her prison, her brain filled with memories of Moran. While life in Prime City hadn’t been easy, Moran had made it bearable. She’d taught Rogue how to survive, and now, Rogue had failed her.
Scooting over to the nearest wall, Rogue placed her back against it. She rested her hands on her knees and stared into the distance. “I’m sorry, Moran. I wanted to help you and the rebels. I wanted to save you, but these people. They won’t listen. They hate us too much.”
Moran’s face hovered in her mind’s eye, and she wondered what the rebel leader would say to her now if she were there. It was a no-brainer. Moran would tell her to stop whining and fight for her survival. She’d tell her that there was always a way out, you only had to know where to look.
Then she thought about Seth. Beaten, injured, locked up by the very people he’d warned her against. It was her fault he was in this mess, so it was up to her to get him out of it. I can do this. These people hate me for being a Prime, but greed always trumps hate. Dangle Prime City like a fish on a hook, and they’ll fall for it.
She sat like that for a long time, filled with regrets but also determination. When the lock grated open, she jumped to her feet, ready for anything.
The door swung wide, and a man stepped into the room. To Rogue’s astonished gaze, he looked the size of a barn. His shoulders were broad and thick, his hands the size of dinner plates. Grey streaked the hair at his temples, and shrewd eyes took in her form.
Rogue sucked in a deep breath. The man was far too big for her to take on in a fight. Even if she still had her machete, which she didn’t. She decided to brazen it out instead. “Who are you?”
“The name is Ric, but the more important question is, who are you?” the man said, his voice rumbling through his deep chest.
“I’m Rogue, and the man with me is called Seth,” Rogue replied.
“We know who he is,” Ric said.
“Where is he? Is he safe? I swear, if you hurt him, I’ll make you pay,” Rogue cried out.
Ric stared at her with a raised eyebrow. “I find your threat amusing, but he’s safe. For th
e moment, at least.”
“What do you mean, for the moment?”
“It means that his fate is yet to be decided by the council,” Ric said. “They will convene shortly to discuss his sentence.”
“His sentence? Why don’t you just let him go? He’s done nothing to you. Nothing,” Rogue exclaimed.
“He broke our pact and brought a Prime spy to our doors. Both transgressions are punishable by death.”
“No, you can’t do that! He didn’t want to come here. I’m the one who convinced him to bring me to you. Punish me if you must, but set him free,” Rogue pleaded, extending both her hands palms up.
Ric studied her for a brief moment. “I’ll take that into consideration when the time comes.”
Rogue slumped with relief. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I make no guarantees. Your fate and his relies on your complete co-operation,” Ric said. “Now, tell me. Where is the rest of your group?”
“There is no rest. It’s just me.”
“You can’t expect me to believe that. You must have friends. You can’t be out here all alone,” Ric said.
“I’m telling the truth. I was exiled from Prime for stealing food. I managed to survive for a few days before Seth found me and took me in. When I heard there were other survivors, I asked him to take me to them. To you.”
“Why?” Ric asked. “To spy on us?”
“No, what purpose would that serve?” Rogue protested.
“It could mean your ticket back inside Prime. Surely, they’d take you back if you deliver valuable information,” Ric said.
“That’s ridiculous. Even if I could go back, I wouldn’t. I hate Senator Douglas and everything he stands for,” Rogue said.
“He’s a Senator now?” Ric said, his mouth twitching with suppressed mirth.
“Yes, and he’s sucking the life from the city. Him and his cronies. They’re like leeches living off the backs of our labor. All of Prime hates them.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Ric said with a shake of the head.
“Not all of us are bad. Not all of us wanted the gates closed. That was Douglas. We were just as much the victims in all of this as you were.”
“I doubt that. We had to fight tooth and nail to survive out here while you sat pretty within your walls,” Ric said.
“Hardly. I was five years old when the Shift happened. Five. I grew up on the streets, eating scraps from trash cans,” Rogue said, bitterness seeping into her voice.
“That still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here? Seth must’ve warned you that we don’t accept outsiders into our ranks. Especially Primes,” Ric said. “Why didn’t you stay with him?”
“Because I wanted to make you an offer,” Rogue said.
“An offer?” Ric asked with an amused look. “What could you possibly give us that we don’t already have?”
“I can give you Prime,” Rogue said. “Or at least, half of the spoils from Douglas’ stores.”
“And how in the world would you do that?”
“I’m the adopted daughter of Moran, leader of the Rebel Faction inside Prime. Before I was exiled, she asked me to look for other survivors. With your help from the outside and the rebels on the inside, we can overthrow Douglas.”
Rogue leaned forward, pressing her point. “Think about the possibilities. We could work together, even trade with each other. Two cities, side by side, rebuilding our world.”
Ric laughed. “That’s a nice story, and you’re very convincing, but I don’t believe it.”
“It’s the truth,” Rogue cried. “Every word of it!”
Ric sobered in a flash, his expression growing cold. “Do you take me for a fool, little girl?”
“I’m not a little girl,” Rogue said, her cheeks flushing with hot blood.
“Well, your words sound like something from a children’s book. A fairy tale,” Ric said.
Rogue stared at him, her mouth working. “What more can I say before you’ll believe me?”
“I’ve heard enough, and I don’t have any more time to waste,” Ric said, turning away. “Save your story for the council. You’ll meet them soon enough.”
“Please, wait. You have to believe me,” Rogue pleaded, desperation settling over her shoulders.
“I don’t have to do anything,” Ric said, stepping aside to allow a woman to enter. “This is Olivia. She’ll tend to your injuries and give you something to eat.”
“You’re feeding me?” Rogue asked. “Why? I thought I was a spy.”
“Whatever you are, we’re not monsters,” Ric said.
“Could’ve fooled me,” Rogue mumbled under her breath.
Ric shot her a sharp look. “I’m leaving a guard here to watch you. If you try anything with Olivia, you’ll be sorry.”
Rogue rolled her eyes, but the name Olivia stirred a sense of nostalgia in her breast. It had belonged to her mother as well.
“It’s okay, Ric. I’ve got this,” Olivia said, stepping around the hulking brute.
He nodded, his expression softening. “Just be careful.”
“She’s just a girl. Let me tend to her,” Olivia admonished. She turned toward Rogue with a tray of food and medical supplies in her hands. “Here. You must be hungry, and you are hurt.”
Rogue stared at the woman, a strange feeling nagging at the back of her mind. A sense of familiarity. That hair. Those eyes. The nose. “Wait. Do I know you?”
Olivia frowned. “I don’t see how that’s possible.”
“But you look…” Rogue’s mind jumped back to the night she’d wandered about in the rain. The night she’d seen ghostly figures from her past. Hallucinations. “You look just like her.”
“Like who?” Ric said, still hovering over Olivia. “You’d better not be playing games, girl.”
“No, I’m not playing, I…” Rogue reached out one trembling hand. “Mom?”
Olivia dropped the tray to the ground with a clatter. The contents burst across the floor in a spray of glass and silverware. She stepped forward, crunching across the debris. “It can’t be. You’re gone. I looked everywhere for you after the Shift.”
“What are you talking about, Olivia?” Ric demanded.
Olivia ignored him, her brow furrowed. “You’re all grown up, but how is that possible? How are you here?”
“What are you talking about? Who is she?” Ric cried out.
“My daughter.”
Ric’s jaw dropped. “It can’t be.”
“It has to be. Look at her. Look at us,” Olivia said.
Ric stared at them, his gaze jumping from one to the other. “I…sure, there’s a resemblance, but…” He pointed at Rogue. “Prove it. Prove that this is not just another one of your fantastical stories.”
“That’s my mother, Olivia Reid, married to Charles Reid, and my name is Lillian. My true name,” Rogue said, her own suspicions confirmed. It was her mother, she was sure of it. Older, yes. Grayer, yes. But still her.
“Lillian,” Olivia cried, closing the distance. She wrapped her arms around Rogue and pulled her close to her chest.
Rogue buried her face in her mother’s shoulder, breathing in her warm scent. She even smells familiar. I can’t believe this is happening. I found her. I found her at last.
Epilogue
Later that night, Rogue sat on a bench outside Olivia’s home. Her mother sat next to her, and they both gazed up at the stars in wonder.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I never get tired of looking at the heavens here,” Olivia said. “It looks so different from home. No smog or pollution.”
“Does it really look that different?” Rogue asked, gazing at the vast tapestry of silver lights twinkling against a cobalt blue background. Streaks of red, orange, and purple were smeared across as if by a painter’s hand. “I can’t remember.”
“I don’t blame you. You were so young when it all happened. Only five,” Olivia murmured.
“I know,” Rogue said,
swallowing on the knot that formed in her throat. “I was so scared. I didn’t know what was happening.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Olivia said. “I looked for you, you know. I looked everywhere.”
“Everywhere except Prime Hotel,” Rogue said.
“I was there, but I arrived too late. The gates were closed, and the corpses of those who’d tried to storm them served as a warning to the rest of us,” Olivia said.
“I didn’t know,” Rogue admitted.
“There is much neither of us knows,” Olivia said.
“What happened to Dad?” Rogue asked.
“I don’t know. I never found him either, but I think he got left on the other side when it all happened.”
“Yeah? So he’s in the future?” Rogue asked, wondering how his life had turned out after losing both wife and child in one fell swoop.
“I think so. He was still at work, and that part of the city stayed behind during the Shift,” Olivia said. “I hope he’s happy wherever he is.”
“Me too, but what about you? What happened that day?” Rogue asked.
“I was on my way to have lunch with your father when I got stuck in traffic,” Olivia said.
“What a strange coincidence,” Rogue mused.
“I call it fate. I was meant to be here, just like we were meant to find each other again,” Olivia said.
“Maybe,” Rogue said, her lips twisting at the thought of a higher hand dictating their every move.
“You’re cynical for one so young,” Olivia said.
“I’ve had to be,” Rogue answered with a sigh.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” Olivia asked with timeless patience.
“Not now. I’ll tell you tomorrow. I just want to savor this moment,” Rogue said, reaching out to take her mother’s hand. Their fingers intertwined, and the beauty of the night enfolded them in its warm embrace.
“I love you, Lillian,” Olivia whispered.
“I love you too, Mom,” Rogue replied.
The words sent a warm glow fizzing through Rogue’s veins. The warmth of a mother’s love. It filled a hole that she hadn’t even known was there. For the first time in twenty years, she felt whole again.
The Extinction Series | Book 1 | Primordial Earth Page 13
